The campaign to recall Gov. Gavin Newsom has submitted almost as many signatures as it needs to qualify for the ballot, although the Secretary of State has yet not verified them and probably won’t for many more weeks.
But at least two major Republican candidates have already thrown their hats in the ring, planning to challenge Gov. Newsom if there is a recall election, and if there isn’t, they will run against him in in the general election in 2022.
One of them is John Cox, who ran against the governor in 2018 and lost by a wide margin. "I would disagree it didn’t go very well," said Cox. "I got more votes than any governor candidate for the Republicans that didn’t have an Austrian accent."
Cox said his candidacy was hurt by voters being unfamiliar with him, believing this time might be different.
"I think there’s a base of people who do know what I’m about, that I want to solve problems and bring people together and that’s why I’m running again," Cox explained.
Cox, who started his career as a Democrat in the Midwest, moved to California a decade ago.
He told KCBS Radio's "The State of Califormia" it’s sad to see so many residents leaving or wanting to escape the Golden State as the COVID-19 pandemic and other issues persist.
"It’s a beautiful place to live," he said. "People that love the weather and natural beauty of that area say to themselves ‘My God, I can’t afford a house. I can’t afford rent. I can’t afford electricity. I have to live through a blackout. I have to worry about fires and the smoke in the air.’ There’s gotta be some solutions to these things. We just can’t sit and make excuses."
The other Republican in the race is former two-term San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer. "I don’t think a career politician is what’s needed to replace a career politician," Cox said of his GOP opponent.
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